This invention relates generally to window systems in an automotive vehicle and more specifically to a window which is retractable into the vehicle's roof structure.
In the field of automobile design, the ability to style the vehicle's body is often limited by manufacturability and durability of various components therein. For example, when dealing with retractable side windows, the ability to incorporate dramatic window shapes and curves is limited by the need to insure that the windows retract easily and provide a positive seal against elements such as wind and rain. Conventionally, the vehicle side windows are retractable into a cavity formed within a door panel or quarter panel below a beltline. This causes a variety of problems. First, the window must be fairly flat in order to minimize the width of the body panel cavity for receiving the retracted windows. Accordingly, some highly curved quarter windows are not retractable and, thus, must be fixed in an extended position. Second, it is often difficult to package retractable quarter windows due to protrusion of a wheel house into the desired cavity space. Third, it is often difficult to maintain an effective weather seal between these traditional retractable windows and the adjacent lower body panel. Since the top of the cavity is upwardly facing, rain can often enter the cavity despite the weather stripping. This water seepage often infiltrates the passenger compartment thereby causing premature failure of various electrical components and the like. In order to minimize this water intrusion problem, various corrosion resistant materials must be employed and a plurality of drain holes must be incorporated within the bottom of the panels to allow drainage of any accumulated water.
The retraction of the quarter window is especially important when used in combination with a retractable soft-top roof or a folding hard-top roof. Such a soft-top roof is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,133 entitled "Convertible Top Structure" which issued to the present assignee on Jan. 19, 1988, and is incorporated by reference herewithin. An exemplary hard-top roof is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,634 entitled "Upper Body Structure for a Convertible Vehicle" which issued to Shiraishi et al. on Aug. 8, 1989, and is also incorporated by reference herewithin. Traditionally, the quarter window must often be retracted within a cavity of the adjacent quarter panel prior to fully collapsing the soft-top or hard-top roof. Examples of two such retraction devices are depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,317 entitled "Convertible Top Frame with Quarter Windows" which issued to Muscat on May 9, 1989 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,428 entitled "Apparatus and Method of a Convertible Top with Hard Glass with Bottom Sealing" which issued to Moy et al. on Nov. 15, 1988. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a side window, such as a quarter window, that is retractable into the adjacent roof structure.
In accordance with the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a new and useful side window system provides for retraction of a side window into the adjacent roof structure of an automobile. The side window system can be used in combination with a door window or a quarter window. The present invention is advantageous over the prior art in that it eliminates the need for extensive weatherstripping between the side window and the adjacent lower body panel. Furthermore, the associated water drain holes can be eliminated. Another advantage is that a highly curved side window can be easily retracted since obstructions, such as a wheel house and the like, do not need to be circumvented. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.